


The Chairman's Waltz

by SpamMusubiii



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:33:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24702361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpamMusubiii/pseuds/SpamMusubiii
Summary: Gakuhou gives his top student a simple lesson about suffering after Class 3-A's second defeat. The next thing he knows, he finds himself working alongside Isogai Yūma. However, Gakushū doesn't get fazed that easily. But the more he defies his master, the worse his punishments are going to be. One thing's for certain though, at the end of the day, both of them will find themselves at the other side of the leash.
Relationships: Akabane Karma & Asano Gakushuu, Asano Gakuhou & Asano Gakushuu, Asano Gakushuu & Class 3-E, Asano Gakushuu & Isogai Yuuma, Asano Gakushuu & Sakakibara Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed that most fics about Assassination Classroom are not written in English (which isn't a bad thing, don't get me wrong!), so please forgive me if the plot's been taken already without my knowledge. Well, this is your typical "Gakuhou punishes Gakushū fic," but I decided to put some twist to it, so I hope you enjoy!

Gakuhou spoke as soon as the student entered his office, "Asano-kun, from all those years that I've raised and taught you by myself alone, have you ever once wondered or thought about your mother? Where she was? If she's even alive?"

Gakushū chuckled briefly before giving Gakuhou a stern glare as he responded condescendingly, "Chairman, it's even a surprise to hear you asking me that question, don't you think? For all we know, you raised me to not get myself involved in such drivel, to focus mainly on the goal even if I have to resort to such harsh methods." Gakushū briefly paused, the tension remaining prevalent in the atmosphere, before he mused in continuation, "Ah, my goal. My goal? I remember now. My goal is to put you on the other end of the leash. So if you're looking for an answer to your question, that answer is a hard 'no,' Chairman. Trivial things such as my mother's whereabouts will only hinder my end goal of turning the tables around here."

Every word he spat reeks of venom and hatred, Gakuhou couldn't be any more proud. He told his student with a cheerful smile, "You pretty sure have a lot to say only to arrive at 'no,' Asano-kun." His face then went dark as he went on, "But of course, I'm afraid that I'm not going to let you attain your goals that easily."

"Since you mentioned it, what about my mother? You haven't told me a thing about her yet, not once." Gakushū asked, disregarding the Chairman's previous menacing remark.

Gakuhou barked a humorless laugh, eyes were glued and piercing at his only son. He told him as he propped his elbow on his desk and interlaced his fingers, "Now we're getting to the fun part, Asano-kun. I'm pretty sure that 3-E student who's the root cause for the bet and your subsequent failure is still fresh in your memory?"

"Isogai Yūma. What about him?" Gakushū recalled.

"The two of you are step-siblings from the same mother." Gakuhou abruptly revealed and ignored the shocked look on Gakushū's face as he added further, "Success and failure are co-existent, Asano-kun. What comes up must come down, and what goes down will soon go up. But apparently, that doesn't apply to the strong ones who relentlessly remain on top. Unfortunately, you aren't that truly strong, Asano-kun? Losing twice to 3-E just proved that."

"Chairman, if there's something I need to know, let's not beat around the bush and just get directly to the point." Gakushū pointed out bluntly.

Gakuhou lightly chuckled at his student's straightforwardness before he explained, "I have a lesson for you, Asano-kun. I'll make you feel and experience what it's like to crawl from the bottom and claw your way out to the top. You'll know what it's like to suffer-"

Gakushū, tired of all the formality, cut him off without caring about the repercussions and scoffed, "As if I haven't suffered enough already from you alone."

Gakuhou clenched his jaw at the rude interruption and narrowed his gaze at Gakushū before he continued, "From now on, I don't want to be associated with a failure like you. I have everything arranged already. You'll be living with your mother and Asano will no longer be your surname. You will take your mother's instead, Isogai. As a parting gift, I have a job set out for you to sustain yourself. You'll be working with that bastard, Isogai Yūma. Also, I'm not harsh enough to transfer you to E-Class. Yet. Let's see how long you can last at the top with all your resources taken away from you, Isogai-kun." Gakuhou smirked as he emphasized Gakushū's new surname. He proceeded talking, "You're lucky that you're still in A-Class, that is, if you can maintain your exemplary grades. Any slight deviation would make me reconsider my decision, so mark my words."

"Tch. You call that a challenge?" Gakushū scoffed and gave Gakuhou a snide remark, "You disappoint me a lot these days, Chairman."

"Careful with your words, my dear student. You might end up regretting it soon." Gakuhou told him with the smirk plastered on his face growing more sinister. He stood up and paced across the room, every step he took with grace like lion whose about to attack his prey.

Gakuhou explained further, "Also, I almost forgot, it all starts today. I have all your belongings sent to the Isogai household. I won't tell you the address though, you're on your own now. Go find that bastard in Class E to know your way to your new home if you have to. I'm quite certain that his mother probably told him about the arrangement already."

Without a word, Gakushū gave him a final bow and began walking away. As he was about to approach the door to exit, his father's words put him into a halt.

"Isogai-kun, give me your wallet. I was thinking about taking back your phone as well but I'm feeling quite generous today, so I'll have that as a parting gift as well." Gakushū heard the Chairman speak.

Gakushū bit his lower lip before facing that monster again. No, he realized he didn't have to do that. In hopes of spiting him, he smugly threw his wallet to the ground and left.

Now, now he had to find that certain 3-E student. Eventually, he didn't break out a sweat in doing so. He found Isogai Yūma standing outside the entrance of the main building all by himself. He looked around his surroundings before approaching him to make sure that no one he knew was there, dusk was fast approaching anyways and most students probably went home already.

There were no exchange of pleasantries whatsoever. Gakushū just followed him from behind as both of them walked in silence. As they were about to enter the train station, Gakushū slid his hands in his pocket to prepare for the fee, only to find them empty. He momentarily went nervous, anxiously scrambling through his pockets once more and he even checked his backpack while they walked. That's when he suddenly realized that his fa-, the Chairman, took it from him earlier.

"Isogai-kun..." Gakushū finally spoke and stopped right at his tracks before he begrudgingly explained his unpleasant situation, "Uhm... The Chairman took my wallet too, so apparently, I don't have any money left with me."

He tried avoiding Yūma's gaze. He hated looking and feeling so helpless, but he had no other choice. He also realized that he has to work as soon as possible. He lost everything in a span of a day, but that setback was nothing compared to his adamant pursuit of proving Gakuhou wrong.

Yūma smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, I have spare money enough for the both us."

He gave Yūma a slight bow as he expressed his gratitude, "T-thank you." He also proceeded to ask him, "Isogai-kun, when do I start working?"

Yūma told him, "The contract says today but I think you should start tomorrow in case you know... In case you're having a hard time processing all this. I think the manager will understand."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll start today." Gakushū replied.

Yūma's eyes grew wide and he stammered, "W-what? Are you sure about that?"

Gakushū gave Yuma a curt nod before spacing out as he planned for and thought about his immediate future. He needed to carefully strategize a battle plan against his old man as early as now if he wanted to succeed.

* * *

Yūma explained, "So uh, it's kind of an easy task, to be honest. You just write down their orders in this tiny notebook, give them their meal, and after they eat, you clean up the table and take their-"

Of course, of course that monster had assigned him to become a waiter to humiliate himself further. He snickered at the thought, that monster never failed to surprise him with how terrible he actually is.

"Isogai-kun, I'm well aware of what a waiter does. I'm not stupid." Gakushū interjected and crossed his arms.

"Oh, uh... of course. I'll look for a uniform that would fit you, I think we're just about the same size." Yūma scratched his head as he went through the storage room to find Gakushū a white polo shirt, a black bow tie, vest and pants.

Yūma proceeded to warn him as soon as he got back, "Since you're new here, your other co-workers and the manager might take advantage of you by coercing you to do other stuff that's not in line with being a waiter. They could uh, make you sweep or mop the floor and wash some dishes."

Gakushū's eyes slightly grew wide, he admitted to Yuma hesitantly, "I... I don't know how to do any of those."

He might be perfect on every aspect: academics, athletics, several extra-curricular activities, you name it. Since childhood, he mastered every skill necessary when it comes to being the ultimate leader the Chairman raised him to be. He just never thought that he'd actually end up in a dire state requiring skills that doesn't concern any of his goals.

"Oh, no problem. I'll teach you. Our shift won't start until an hour from now anyways." Yūma readily offered.

* * *

"Isogai-kun..." Gakushū started while he was mopping the floor in the staff room, he proceeded to ask as soon as Yūma finally looked his way, "What's... our mother like?"

Before even Yuma was able to answer that, the manager entered in and called out his name, "Isogai Gakushū?" The manager paused briefly with a quizzical expression written on his face before he complained, "That's a problem, both of you have the same surname. Are you two related?"

Yūma answered for Gakushū while giving him a confused stare, "Yes, we're brothers, Hamada-san."

Hamada-san replied, "Ah, I see. I guess we'll have to address you both on a first name basis to avoid the confusion. I hope Yūma-kun here oriented you well, both your shifts are about to start in twenty minutes. Good luck."

"Thank you, Hamada-san." Gakushū replied with a bow.

Yūma's confused stare never left him even when the manager was far gone already, he asked "Asano-kun, why is your name-"

"Isogai-kun, don't call me that anymore. The chairman... I'm not allowed to use his surname anymore." Gakushū kept his composure as he explained while trying not to sound pitiful, it was the last thing he needed.

"I mean, if you're not used to it yet, I can still call you-" Yūma suggested in efforts of consoling Gakushū, but the latter cut him off.

"Gakushū, just call me Gakushū, Isogai-kun." Gakushū insisted with emphasis.

Yūma smiled softly, "Well that means you can't call me Isogai too anymore, just call me Yūma."

With the remaining time left, Yūma oriented his step-brother about the several dishes they serve in the café to provide customers information with regards to the taste of the food, their best-sellers and the desserts. He also taught Gakushū how to keep balance in handling the tray.

Yūma's usual customers came in as expected.

"Welcome to Kunigu-Kaze." Gakushū greeted and bowed at them as he led them to their table. He took out his notebook and pen as he asked, "May I take your order?"

"Oh, looks like we have a new waiter around here, and he looks handsome too just like Isogai-kun." Ito-san complimented.

"I totally agree, I mean, would you look at those eyes. They're so rare." Hirada-san interjected.

Gakushū was starting to feel uncomfortable with their unwelcome stares.

"So, where do you study?" Ito-san asked.

"What's your name?" Hirada-san added.

Gakushū gulped and couldn't help but cringe seeing the two customers lose their composure in front of him. It was simply overwhelming. Luckily for him, Yūma pulled him out of the quicksand.

"Ah, Gakū-kun, I'll take it from here. Can you just clean up the other tables for me?" He said as he placed a hand on Gakushū's shoulder from behind. The latter gave him a light nod before heading off to the storage room to grab some cleaning materials.

The moment he left, Yūma proceeded to address his loyal customers, "Hirada-san and Ito-san, what will you be having today?"

* * *

His first shift went by smoothly and they were headed home, which was apparently not far from the café according to Yūma. They stopped by a convenience store on the way first, since it was already nine o' clock in the evening and they haven't eaten anything yet.

"Gakū-kun, is Tuna Onigiri fine for you?" Yūma asked as he picked between different pre-packed foods in the chilled shelves.

"Mhm." Gakushū readily agreed. He didn't have that much of a choice anyway. For all he knows, he's still penniless and his salary wouldn't arrive until the end of the month. He hated how he had to temporarily rely on Yūma for the mean time.

They munched on their dinner on the way home.

"Yūma-kun, about my question earlier..." Gakushū started and paused briefly before he continued, "What's our mother like?"

"Oh... that. Well uh..." Yūma couldn't seem to find the right words to say. More than that, there is still that residual awkwardness when speaking to Gakushū, it wasn't until recently that the latter treated him as an inferior. But now, they turned out to be brothers after all. It escalated all so quickly.

He began explaining, "She's... the best. Ever since my father died, she's been working nonstop to provide for me and my siblings until... until she fell sick and I had to step in to take on most of her responsibility. You know, she's very excited to see you..." Yūma managed to put up a false cheerful demeanor, but Gakushū could see right through it.

Gakushū could feel the guilt seeping in. He... he didn't know anything about what Yūma's been going through. At all.

He briefly forced his eyes shut and took a deep breath before asking him reluctantly, "Yūma-kun, why aren't you mad me? I endangered both your job and your education. I nearly jeopardized your future."

The other boy laughed in response, "Of course, I am mad. How could I not be? But that was before, you see... It's still going to take a while for me to completely forgive you though. But if it helps, I want you to know that I'm ready to leave it all behind, Gakū-kun. We're brothers now." Yūma smiled as usual and patted him on the shoulder as they neared in his new home.

"Thank you, Yūma-kun. I'll... I'll make it up to you." He promised before staring blankly at the night sky devoid of stars and the moon.

Home.

He'll finally know what it's like to have one, to have an actual family. For some unknown reason, he felt... scared. If there's anything he hated strongly aside from the Chairman himself, it was a pang in the chest from being so uncertain.

* * *

"It's you, it's really you!" Their mother exclaimed as she went up to Gakushū and enclosed him into a tight embrace. The latter awkwardly returned it as he carefully placed a hand on her back. "He took you away from me for years! I wasn't even able to hold you on the day you were born! I could only do so much by trying to secretly check on you while you grow up. But now, now I have you by my side. I'm so glad!" Her mother cried, eyes brimming uncontrollably with tears.

He didn't cry though, but at least his stoic face softened slightly. Everything that has happened to him in a day might've overwhelmed him, but his goal to defy that monster fueled by both hatred and resentment grew stronger after knowing what he did to his mother. He clenched his fists, eyes firing up with the desire to prove the chairman wrong.

He was still in A-class. He still has leverage, somehow. He wouldn't let this setback hinder him completely, not that he considered finding out the truth and meeting with his family as a setback.

* * *

Yūma also ended up studying late up at night with him, he never expected that from a 3-E student. It's seemed logical though, since Yūma probably had no choice but to study late up at night because of his shift. He briefly glanced at him sideways, wondering how in the world did he even end up here. When he was eating breakfast with the Chairman this morning, it never occurred to him that his life was about to change in a span of a day. Who would've seen it coming? It was simply unforeseen, he just had to accept it. With that, he let out a sigh and focused back on his chemistry book for tomorrow's quiz.

"Damn it!" Gakushū muttered in a loud whisper after being awaken by Yūma's morning alarm. He accidentally fell asleep last night on the table and he wasn't able to finish reviewing his lessons. Although it was a relief that he studied those in advance. But if his situation remains constant, him being tired all the time due to his new part-time job, he wondered how is he going to keep up with his studies to maintain his position on the top. Although he already studied two weeks worth of lessons in advance, and the fact that he is a fast learner, he's not going to take any chances. He has to do something about this.

"Oh, uh... Good morning, Gakū-kun." Yūma greeted before apologizing, "I'm sorry for not waking you up last night, you seem very tired so I didn't want to bother you."

"It's fine, Iso-... Yūma-kun. Good morning." He greeted back.

The two proceeded to prepare themselves and got dressed up. After that, Yūma heated up two cups of instant noodles.

"Sorry, Gakū-kun. This is all we got. I'm pretty sure you're not used to all this." Yūma apologized again.

"Yūma-kun, stop worrying about me. I'll get used to it." Gakushū smiled and thanked him with a small bow before digging in.

Forty-five minutes before classes start, the two set out for a walk towards Kunugigaoka.

"Yūma-kun, what's her illness? Mother..." Gakushū finally asked to stop the question from bugging his head.

Yūma readily answered without hesitation, "The doctors called it Multiple Sclerosis, which affects how the brain controls your body. They told us that the disease was progressive, that it worsens over time. Years from now, they predicted that mother would be completely disabled and I couldn't help but agree. That's because as early as now, she's already becoming weak and uncoordinated, so she had to resort to working jobs that are less demanding. She's currently a call center agent but it doesn't pay much to sustain us, so I had to chip in."

Gakushū kept his head down as Yūma told him all that. He was just given another reason to fight aside from his goal of defying that monster. He wanted to help his mother badly. He also bit his lower lip for he was mad at himself, he wanted to undo the mistake of putting Yūma's future in danger. For the first time in his life, he wanted to do something that will benefit not just himself.

Gakushū managed to scan a few of his notes inside the train on the way to Kunugigaoka. As soon as they arrived there, he and Yūma finally parted ways as the latter went to climb up the hill on the way to the E-Class.

As the day went on, Gakushū couldn't help but feel the weariness from working and staying up late at night to study yesterday. He was only able to gather four hours of sleep.

He was sitting right in front, so the professor could easily see Gakushū fighting the urge to close his eyes and let his head slump onto his desk. It was very uncharacteristic of him. His head bobbed back and forth as he tried his best to stay awake. As much as the professor wanted to, he was afraid to apprehend the top student because in the eyes of many, he was still the Chairman's son even if he had already lost that title just recently.

During lunch break, before he even stood up from his desk, Ren approached him. "Asano-kun, are you alright? You seem... tired." He asked.

"Asano? I guess the Chairman didn't spread the news yet." Gakushū thought as he acknowledged Ren's presence by looking at him sideways.

The other four virtuosos followed suit and gathered behind Ren. They questioned him as well, "What happened to you, Asano-kun?" Seo started.

"I just simply couldn't sleep last night, it happens sometimes." Gakushū lied convincingly with ease.

"Well, we hope it's not about that one tiny miscalculation you made against Class 3-E." Koyama said.

"Tiny? You call that a tiny miscalculation?" Gakushū thought before he spoke, "Don't worry about me, I can handle myself just fine. I appreciate all your concern. Now if you excuse me, I need to go someplace else during our lunch break." He stood up and gathered his things as he went out through the hallway.

He headed straight to the most isolated restroom located at the floor above them. There weren't any classrooms there, it was simply a huge storage room, which makes it a perfect choice for a hiding spot. He locked himself inside the cubicle, hanged his bag on the metal hook and took out his lunch as he sat on the closed toilet seat.

He swallowed in disgust before eating the tuna straight out from the can. It didn't suffice to fill his empty, growling stomach, but he thought that it was better than nothing.

His routine went on monotonously like that for a week. Going to school, then work, and finally, a late night study session with Yūma. The latter asked him a favor to tutor him about various subjects and Gakushū readily accepted the task. He realized that teaching other students helps him retain the lessons better.

This following day though, proved to be different. After changing into his working attire, he started his shift by approaching the customer seated in the far corner of the café, currently facing away from him.

Gakushū greeted, "Welcome to Kunugi-Kaze, would you like a copy of our menu?"

The customer greeted back as he tipped his hat, revealing his identity in the process of doing so, "Hello, Isogai-kun. How is life treating you so far?"


	2. Stepping Twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gakushū and the Chairman are both taking turns between winning and losing, but it only takes two steps ahead from one of them to send everything into a dismal array.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, thanks for reading this. Kindly tell me what you think, reviews motivate me a lot! :D

"Hello, Isogai-kun. How is life treating you so far?" He heard a familiar voice ask him and he instantly knew who it was.

Gakushū chuckled and reiterated the question, "How is life treating me so far?" He airily let out a short laugh before elaborating his response, "Why are you asking me something you should already know by now, Chairman? I'm sure my grades speak for themselves. You put me in such a disadvantage and yet, I still score full marks in every activity there is." He smirked and watched the reaction on Gakuhou's face, the slightly irked expression from that monster sure made his day.

Gakushū coughed and spoke further in hopes of spiting him. "Forgive me, where are my manners?" He paused briefly and bowed, "Greetings, Chairman. What will you be having?"

Gakuhou looked at him directly and smiled. Gakushū nearly threw up from how fake looking it was. The Chairman spoke, "Your best seller here will do."

"Oh, Kori Kohi and Red Bean Paste Croissant. Good call, Chairman." Gakushū informed him. "Would you like it laced with poison?" He deadpanned.

"He wants to play mind games? Then let's play mind games." Gakuhou thought with one side of his lip smugly curled up.

Gakuhou laughed and patted Gakushū on the shoulder, "I see you've developed a good sense of humor by just living in the slums for a week. Good going, Isogai-kun."

Gakushū clenched his jaw but managed to smile through it. He was cringing from feeling the Chairman's hand resting on top of his shoulder. He told him, "Your order will be ready in fifteen minutes."

With that, he left without warning as he walked past by him, forcibly letting the Chairman's hand slump down from his shoulder. He then proceeded to brush off his shoulder with his hand, treating the Chairman's touch as if it was filthy. Gakushū made sure Gakuhou could see him doing that in hopes of provoking him further.

Gakuhou's grunt was barely audible, he was a master of keeping his composure in place. For that matter, he still controls things around here. Although it's debatable that perhaps it was a mistake on his part for allowing the leash to get too long. He immensely contemplated his next move while he waited for his food. His status as a parent always came off as misunderstood. He loved his son... to a certain extent. He only wanted him to get stronger and more independent. He wanted to teach him a lesson. He wanted him to think things through before acting on impulse, such as involving himself in a battle against Class 3-E, when his success still remained uncertain and jeopardized despite him having the upper hand. His son needs to face the consequences of his very own miscalculation brought by his pride.

The Chairman gradually went unaware of the time as Gakushū serving a plate, along with a drink, on his table snapped him out of his thoughts. "Enjoy the meal, Asano-san." He heard the boy speak with false enthusiasm.

He jokingly responded, "You sure you didn't put poison in my food?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. Why don't you try to find out, Asano-san?" Gakushū smiled back before finally leaving the Chairman alone.

Yūma asked as soon as Gakushū entered back in the kitchen, "Gakū-kun, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah... Yes, Yūma-kun. Don't worry about me." Gakushū stammered and scratched his head as he still dealt with the residual awkwardness that comes with speaking to Yūma. He was still getting the hang of it. He narrowed his gaze as he looked over his shoulder to see the Chairman beginning to take a few bites from his food. "I can handle that monster just fine." He sternly said before he walked away to serve other tables.

There was a worrisome look written on Yūma's face for he was genuinely concerned with Gakushū's mental well-being. How could he be possibly dealing with all this? He sighed and intently observed his step-brother. It still felt weird. Last week they were still enemies, he was on the brink of getting his future ruined all because of Gakushū, but now he's worried about him.

Gakushū was surprised when the Chairman actually disappeared without a word, and just left a huge amount of money unattended on the table. There was a note placed beside it saying: "Your tip will wait for you later."

Gakushū gulped as he tried to gauge what the Chairman exactly meant by that. He gave the payment to Yūma, as well as the large amount of spare change that was worth more than the actual bill. It amounted to at least ten thousand Yen. He hated how petty the Chairman was in flaunting his power like that. He didn't want to accept anything directly from that man, but he also thought that it was best to be at least practical by giving the spare money to Yūma, and let him do what he wants with it to help their mother.

Gakuhou's ways were always twisted and unconventional, despite him having good intentions beneath it. He muttered a cold, "Sorry, but you must learn it the hard way." He then glanced out to the side of the car window, watching the café gradually fade on the horizon.

* * *

Both of them chose to overtime since it was a weekend the following day. All of the staff, except them, went home already. After cleaning the entire café together, Gakushū took out bags of trash outside and threw it to a large bin placed within a secluded, narrow alley behind the café. That's when he realized what the Chairman meant with his so-called "tip" earlier. The four foreign exchange students he used for the bo-tashi match squared up on him all at once.

Although he was a master in martial arts, he was clearly outnumbered in this situation. His agility, strategic skills, and strength were up to no match against the combined brawn of the four foreign exchange students. Still, Gakushū was undoubtedly a formidable opponent. He gave them a good fight as he was still able to inflict a significant amount of damage, proven by the extensible injuries evident on them all. However, he was in a worse state. The four students were about to finish him when he noticed them instantly backing out and cowering in fear.

He heard someone threaten them accompanied by the sound of a gun cock, "Yeah, that's right! Run, you fuckers!"

Gakushū gulped and his eyes widened, that voice sounded too familiar. Was it... Could it be?

Before he could even completely finish off his thoughts, Akabane closed in on him and looked at him in disbelief. The boy exclaimed in confusion, "Asano?! What the hell are you doing here?"

Gakushū coughed and winced before he asked back with a narrowed gaze, "I was about to ask you the same question. What the hell are you doing out here this late? And in here, of all places?"

"My, my... You really are full of pride, I see." Karma mused before he nonchalantly explained, "I was about to return the notes I borrowed from Isogai-kun. I totally wasn't expecting to see you here." Karma noticed that something wasn't right too, he pointed it out as soon as he figured it over, "And... why are you wearing a waiter's uniform?! Did your father disown you or something?"

Gakushū didn't respond to that. Instead, he kept the sullen look on his face while his eyes landed on the gun in Akabane's pocket. "Why are you carrying a gun with you?!" He exclaimed, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Wait, can I...? Can I take a picture before I help you out? It's only for blackmailing purposes." Karma brazenly teased him.

Gakushū bit his lower lip and sent him a death glare, "What the hell, Akabane!" He struggled to lift himself up since the one standing before him was of no use. His efforts remain futile because of the pain he felt all over his limbs, and he grew even more frustrated when he saw Karma take out his phone. Before he even knew it, the camera flash accompanied by a loud click sound stunned him. That delinquent truly did it. He was about to berate him again when the boy finally held out his arm to help him get up.

He took his offer with an irritated grunt. Karma took one of his arms and slumped it over his shoulders. His other arm supported Gakushū's torso as they headed back slowly towards the café's back door.

"By the way, I was just kidding about the photo. You should've seen the look on your face. It was priceless!" Karma teased him again and now he was laughing like an idiot. With the strength he got left in him, he managed to harshly hit Karma on the side with his elbow. "Hey?! What was that for?!" The 3-E student complained and grit his teeth in pain.

"That should shut you up," Gakushū told him with an annoyed undertone in his voice.

"Tch. Asshole." Karma muttered under his breath.

Yūma was actually wiping the windows on the facade of the café the entire time. The moment he went back inside the kitchen and noticed that Gakushū wasn't there, he immediately opened the back door and was surprised to see Karma helping out his beaten up step-brother.

"Ah, Isogai-kun! I was about to return your notes when I saw Asano here... I didn't know you guys worked together." Karma started. It wasn't like Karma isn't smart enough already on his own that he still needed to borrow notes from a certain classmate. It's just that he cuts classes on a regular basis, so he needed to keep track of the lessons and the class syllabus, then he could carry his own weight from there. Unfortunately, Nagisa wasn't able to take notes for today, so the next approachable person he could think of was, of course, their class president.

Yūma gulped at the sight of Gakushū's face marred with blotches of purple and red. He stammered, "What... What the hell happened to you guys?!"

Gakushū managed to slip in a snide remark, "He really wasn't joking when he said my tip will be waiting for me outside."

"Wait, what? Who did this?" Yūma asked him further.

"The foreign exchange students. He brainwashed them." He was certain of it. He was right there when he witnessed the Chairman beat them up and manipulated them with his own, twisted ways. His resentment for that monster grew more even more eminent. He couldn't even accept that his own son is still capable of defying him despite being at such a disadvantage, that he had to resort to physical abuse, not that Gakushū outright considered himself to be a spawn of that monster anyway. Well, not anymore. Gakuhou didn't want to be associated with a "failure" like he was? Then he also didn't want to be associated with the devil in human form. He wanted to prove him wrong. Badly. If only he still had the money, he'd sue him without thinking twice.

"So it's true... you didn't even deny it, did you? Principal Asano really disowned you. Is it because you failed against Class E for the second time around?" Karma interjected.

"Shut up, Akabane." Gakushū spat.

"Wow. Thanks for the help, Asano-kun." Karma spat back, every word reeked of sarcasm.

Gakushū avoided his gaze before he hesitantly uttered a half-hearted, "T-thank you."

Yūma was about to call the ambulance, but he quickly realized that they might not have the money to pay for hospital bills. Despite receiving the spare money from Gakuhou earlier, he knew Gakushū wouldn't want to use the money on himself. He strongly insisted on that. Instead, he motioned beside Gakushū and helped Akabane carry his weight as he told them, "Come on in quick! Let's treat you inside."

It was a good thing that everyone left already. He took out first aid supplies from the storage room and tended to his step-brother.

"You... you thought that was the Principal's doing?" Yūma asked for clarification as he pressed a bag of ice against Gakushū's exposed, bruised up torso. Meanwhile, Karma reluctantly helped by pressing a bag of ice on Gakushū's beaten up thigh as he listened to their conversation out of boredom.

Gakushū scoffed at the thought of the Chairman, "Of course, who else would do something like that? It's not like the foreign exchange students are capable and inclined to do such horrible things on their own volition." Quickly enough, he softened his expression as he felt guilty for projecting his anger towards Yūma. "I'm sorry for going out on you, Yūma-kun. I'm just-"

"I understand, Gakū-kun. It's alright." Yūma assured him.

"T-thanks," Gakushū replied.

Karma coughed and reminded them of his unnoticed presence with a weirded out facial expression, "I'm still here, you know. And... why do you call each other like that?"

Gakushū sighed in defeat, he couldn't believe he was caught up in an inescapable situation such as this. Yūma looked at Karma before staring right back at him with an inquisitive look on his face. "Should uh... should we-" He dubiously asked his step-brother before the latter cut him off.

"We're brothers, Akabane." Gakushū bluntly revealed before he corrected himself, "Step-brothers. We have the same mother."

Karma really didn't have that much of a reaction. But he crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow out of suspicion, "You're not making fun of me, are you?"

Gakushū snapped back, "Do you think I'm capable of making fun of someone in this condition?!"

Yūma scratched his head and smiled as he explained, "No, Akabane-kun. We're telling you the truth. We would like to keep it secret for a while. Please don't tell the others yet."

He smiled back at Yūma before subsequently sparing Gakushū an indifferent glance. He readily obliged, "Of course, Isogai-kun. Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

Gakushū let out a small grunt and glared furiously at Akabane, was he trying to spite him? Now that Yūma's the one talking to him, he suddenly had no problem with complying at all.

"What? Gaku-kun?" Karma teased by using his first name before he continued speaking, "So, aren't your parents supposed to be looking for you by now? It's past ten 'o clock already."

Yūma indirectly answered Karma's question by addressing Gakushū, "You're lucky mom won't be seeing you like this, she's on graveyard shift today."

"And I guess I'm lucky it's a Saturday too. I'll be able to recover enough to attend classes on Monday." Gakushū mused to himself.

"So, uh. Do you guys need more help? I can buy food at a convenience store nearby. I haven't eaten dinner yet and I'm assuming you guys haven't too?" Karma offered.

Yūma gladly took the offer, "Oh, yeah. Sure, Akabane-kun. But we'll just take the food home and eat it there."

"Hmmm, okay. Can I crash your place? I've got nothing else better to do." Karma said out of the blue as he casually shrugged his shoulders.

Even Yūma was appalled by his question. He and Akabane weren't that particularly close. He wondered what his ulterior motives were. Meanwhile, Gakushū couldn't help but feel the same. What the hell does Akabane even want from him? He's sure he just wants to come along to annoy the shit out of him even more. But still, he couldn't deny the fact that the boy did save him earlier. So when Yūma ask for his opinion, he conceded with a sigh and told them, "Whatever."

Gakushū added further, "Aren't your parents supposed to be looking for you by now too?"

"No. I live by myself. My parents are overseas so I don't have to worry about curfew." Karma explained.

Gakushū didn't know how to react to that, instead, he asked him another question, "About the gun earlier, why the hell do you own one?"

Karma wasn't able to readily come up with an excuse. In the meantime, Gakushū saw the stunned reaction on Yūma's face, he probed them further, "Do you know something about this too, Yūma-kun?"

With that, Karma was compelled to spill out the truth, "Isogai-kun owns one too. It has something to do with Class 3-E's 'little secret.' But that's how far we could tell you. It's a government secret, so it's actually illegal to tell anyone not involved in it. It's best to keep your mouth shut unless you want to put your brother and I into jail."

"I actually have no problem with you going to jail, Akabane." He deadpanned. Having received a lack of response, he grunted in defeat and reassured them both, "Of course, I'm not going to spill it. I'm not that petty!"

Now. Now he was more inclined to find out what the Chairman was hiding from him. What is with Class 3-E students and guns? More than that, how is the government involved in their so-called secret? Gakushū couldn't be any more bewildered and baffled by this.

On the way home. Gakushū was limping as his body was both supported by Akabane and Yūma. They went towards the Taxi station and rode there since Gakushū was in no condition to walk that long despite their house being just nearby.

He still felt guilty. Yūma has been doing him favors ever since the Chairman disowned him. Gakushū still wasn't able to pay his step-brother back after placing his future in danger during the bo-tashi match and yet, the latter has been saving his ass nonstop since. Yeah, he was tutoring him and helping him out with his homework, but those were nothing compared to what Yūma has been doing for him for the past few days.

He glanced outside the car window and his reflection accidentally flashed before his eyes. He cringed at the unsightly appearance of his face. Now, it wasn't just the spitting image of the Chairman that made him flinch. Although he could hide his other injuries with a concealer, he didn't know how he'll be able to hide his busted lower lip. Everything hurts for him to even think decently. He just wanted to go to bed soon.

* * *

Later on, they have arrived back safely in their tiny apartment.

"Thanks again, Yūma-kun." He told his step-brother before he turned around to face Karma and hesitantly told him the same with a stern voice, "Y-you too, Akabane."

"What? I didn't hear that. Can you repeat it again?" Karma teased with a sly grin.

Gakushū grunted before he reluctantly repeated, "I said... Thank you, Akabane."

"Good." Karma replied with that arrogant grin on his face again, before he turned around to Yūma and told him, "I'm starving."

"Okay, let's settle Gaku-kun down here first," Yūma told Karma as they carefully laid down Gakushū on the couch in the living room before they made themselves busy in Kitchen to reheat the food. Their tiny loft had the living room, kitchen, and dining area all in one open space. Yūma turned on the TV in their living room to drown out the awkward tension in the air.

"So, isn't he annoying around to be with?" Karma bluntly asked Yūma about Gakushū.

Yūma looked over his shoulders to check on Gakushū who was lying down peacefully on the couch, before he answered Karma, "No. Not really. Not at all."

"Hmm. I find that hard to believe. A stuck-up and prideful person like he is isn't actually that hard to be with? I guess I have to find that out for myself." Karma commented.

The alarm on the microwave abruptly ended their short conversation. Karma took out the food while Yūma grabbed some extra utensils from the drawer, as well as some drinks from their worn-out fridge. Karma placed their food on the table that separated the kitchen from the living room. At the same time, Yuma proceeded to grab a portion of food that he put in a bowl for Gakushū to eat on the couch.

"Gaku-kun, here's your Tamago-don, eat it while it's still-" Yūma served him his dinner, but he noticed that Gakushū was already fast asleep on the couch. "Well, I guess I'll just save this tomorrow for breakfast." He lowered down the volume of the TV before he sat down in front of Karma to eat their late dinner.

Yūma and Karma made a few sporadic conversations from time to time, oscillating between assassination plots and random personal stuff. It was thirty minutes before midnight when Karma finally announced his departure. Yūma thanked him once again for saving Gakushū and for helping them both tonight.

"So, Isogai-kun, I'm looking forward to a successful assassination on Monday, you tell Gaku-kun back there to get well soon." Karma waved his hand as he wore his shoes and stepped outside.

"Thanks again, Akabane-kun!" Yūma waved back before he closed the door and prepared for sleep.

* * *

It was a lazy Sunday morning when Yūma woke up to see Gakushū studying early by their dining table. By the looks of it, it appears that he just came out of the shower and changed into a comfy white, oversized shirt and boxer shorts. He remembered that Gakushū wasn't able to change out of his waiter uniform yesterday when he accidentally fell asleep on the couch.

Gakushū he took out one earphone as he acknowledged Yūma's presence and greeted him, "Good morning, Yūma-kun."

"Good morning, Gaku-kun." Yūma greeted back.

"Uh, I tried cooking some Miso soup for breakfast. I followed some recipes online, but I don't think the outcome is that good. I uh, also reheated the Tamago-don from last night." Gakushū timidly told him. He voluntarily took the effort to prepare something for Yūma to pay him back for helping him last night.

Yūma smiled and thanked him right away, "Oh, that's nice, Gaku-kun. I'll just go freshen myself up and I'll be joining you shortly."

Gakushū nodded and wore back his earphone as he continued studying while waiting for Yūma to finish. Meanwhile, Yūma went to the toilet room to wash his face and brush his teeth. To conserve space in their tiny apartment, the washing machine was also inside their bathroom. Yūma was about to wash his face when he noticed that it was actually turned on. He knelt down in front of the machine and peeked through the round, glass door, only to see Gakushū's waiter and school uniform inside. All his white polo shirts, black vests, pants, bow tie, among other things, were combined together. He immediately turned it off and rushed outside to get Gakushū's attention. The latter's jaw slightly dropped as he took out his earphones again after seeing the worried look on Yūma's face.

"What's the... matter?" Gakushū warily asked him.

"Uh, Gaku-kun... you washed your uniform in the machine, right?" Yūma confirmed. Although the answer was already a definitive 'yes,' since their mother wasn't home yet.

"Yeah.. why?" Gakushū answered with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Yūma carefully explained, "You see... when doing laundry, you're not supposed to combine white clothes with colored ones because the color bleeding and transfer can occur and damage your white clothes."

Gakushū's eyes widened at the sudden realization. He immediately ran to the bathroom to take out his white uniforms. He cursed under his breath when he saw that all of them were now light gray-stained, "Damn it!" He mentally berated himself further for making such a careless mistake. More than that, he hated how he still managed to mess things up despite doing an easy task such as doing the laundry. Just when he's trying to make things up for Yūma, he makes another mistake yet again. The universe must hate him that much.

Yūma pat him on the shoulder from behind, while Gakushū's shocked stare couldn't leave his damaged uniform and clothes. "It's okay, Gakū-kun. I have spare uniforms and you're in luck since we're the same size." Yūma assured before scolding him, "And hey! You should be resting and not overworking yourself, your injuries haven't healed fully yet!"

Gakushū couldn't help but sigh in defeat. This was humiliating, to say the least. He readily apologized, "I know... I know... I'm really sorry, Yūma-kun, I should've asked."

"Don't sweat it, there's always a first time for everything."

* * *

The next day came and it was Monday again. Gakushū finally found a solution to conceal his busted lip as he wore a surgical face mask since their mother came home. He just pretended that he was sick so that she wouldn't worry about what really happened to him. He also managed to cover up his bruises with makeup. He was actually impressed with himself, his injuries were barely even noticeable now.

"Bye mom, we're leaving!" Gakushū waved goodbye as they left. It may be awkward at first, but eventually, it felt so good for him now to say that phrase.

"Don't forget to eat the lunch and snacks I prepared, Yūma and Gaku!" Their mother waved back as she reminded them both.

"Yeah, mom. We know!" Yūma replied and waved goodbye as well.

Their usual routine went on, except that Gakushū made it a point that he's the first one to arrive in their class to avoid the unwanted attention. Hours went by and he was glad that no one really noticed something strange going on with him, except for one person.

Lunch break came and he headed towards his usual spot again. He ensured that he varied his routes toward the isolated floor above them to avoid raising any suspicions. He was about to enter the empty restroom when a hand swiftly touched his shoulder out of nowhere and pinned him to the wall. He couldn't help but force his eyes shut and wince in pain. The pair of amethyst eyes grew wide at the sudden revelation after he blinked his eyes open.

"Ren?! What the hell?! Are you stalking me?!" He exclaimed in anger.

"No. I'm just a concerned friend if that's what you're asking. You've been distant and acting so differently these days. You don't join us during breaks and dismissal anymore. What happened to you, Asano-kun?" Ren responded back calmly.

After noticing that he might've overreacted, Gakushū calmed himself down. He still cringed hearing his former surname. He spat, "I believe it's nothing that concerns you, Ren. Leave me alone."

What happened next caught him off guard. "Wh-why... why did you-" He stammered in confusion.

"What happened to your lip?!" Ren exclaimed in return.

"Why did you take off the mask, dammit?!" Gakushū was finally able to finish off his sentence, his prior confusion now replaced with rage.

"It wasn't really hard to tell, Asano-kun. The way you had a slight limp when you walk, the way you're so careful with every move even when you only had to stand up or sit down, the way you winced in pain a while ago even if I only pinned you gently to the wall? Also, you neither coughed nor sniffed even if you're 'sick.'" Ren explained before he softened his stoic facial expression and proceeded to ask him with utmost concern, "What happened to you, Asano-kun? Did those delinquents from Class E hurt you?"

"I-I'm fine, Ren. I just... my martial arts training got very serious last Friday. I didn't want to cause alarm by letting my injuries get openly exposed just like that." He managed to utter a convincing lie. Ren instantly believed on the spot because he didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Soon enough, Ren found himself accompanying Gakushū in the isolated floor of the main building during their lunch break. He started again, "Asano-kun, it's not just about the injuries. Like I told you earlier, you've been quite distant lately. Everyone's worried about you and-"

Gakushū cut him off and gently placed a hand on top of his shoulder with a determined look on his face, "Ren, I'm alright. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm just focusing on myself more... I want to get back at Class E after our defeat more than anything."

If only he knew what was about to happen.

Ren nodded back with the same determined facial expression, he told him, "I believe in you, Asano-kun. Everyone does."

Their conversation was cut short after an announcement from the Principal's Office came through the speakers. It appears that there is a surprise assembly after their lunch break in lieu of the rest of their afternoon classes. What could the Chairman be possibly talking about this time? The sports festival was just over by a week ago, the midterms is scheduled for next week, and the school festival a week after that. Nonetheless, they both made their way down towards the huge gymnasium where the assembly was always being held.

Gakuhou patiently waited for the venue to fill up. He stood behind the speech podium, intently eyeing every student that came in and lined up, as he re-contemplated every action he's been orchestrating that led him to this very moment. At the end of the day, he is always one step ahead of everybody. Once his only child entered with his friend through the front door, he kept his eyes locked on him until the event soon started.

To start things, he talked about the recent sports festival and congratulated everyone about the outcome with fake enthusiasm that only Gakushū can point out. He also talked about the upcoming midterms and school festival then wished everyone good luck, just as Gakushū anticipated.

Finally, he began his speech about success and failure, emphasizing more on his educational philosophy that Gakushū himself does not entirely agree with. Unlike the Chairman, he had his own sense of morality that is not marred and blinded by personal reasons whatsoever. How could the monster even call himself a leader when he isn't holistically concerned with everyone's well-being, particularly Class E? At first, he undoubtedly agreed that scaring students by placing them in the End Class if they do not perform well effectively pushes other students to strive harder. But at the expense of what? At the expense of other students' futures being pushed into the brink of oblivion? He hated himself, he hated how it took him failing twice to realize the inconsistency of the Chairman's philosophy. He hated how it took him to find out the truth, that he was related to a Class E student, before taking matters to prove the Chairman wrong with his own hands.

He heard the Chairman speak on the stage, "Let me tell you a thing or two about failure and success." It's as if the chairman spoke to him directly, it's as if it was only the two of them inside the colossal gymnasium of the main building.

Gakuhou said further, "I'm certain that you've already learned about Charles Darwin and his most renowned Theory of Evolution, which is also known by the phrase, 'survival of the fittest.' You've been taught about the role of the predators and other natural phenomena in obliterating the weak, while giving rise to the strong ones. To put it to simple terms, only the strong ones deserve to strive and prevail in our society. We have no room to cater to those who are weak. That's how it's always been in Kungigaoka High. Those who are strong will dominate and remain on top, while the weak ones have no choice to wallow at the bottom, in their very own burrow that they dug for themselves."

Gakuhou paused briefly, watching the audience, and making sure he has everyone's attention before he continued, "As you're all aware by now, Class A suffered from an insurmountable defeat against the End Class twice. This goes against my teachings and it puts the entire institution into shame. Their leader, and your student council president, Gakushū Isogai, will be held accountable for this mess. He will be demoted to Class 3-E."

For a moment there, he felt the whole world stop before it spun around him in a daze. He felt his chest tighten against his own will. He could hear incessant chatters around him, rumors, but the ringing in his ears completely drowned them out. As always, he took a deep breath and kept his composure. In seconds, the stoic expression on his face resurfaced as if nothing ever happened. The Chairman has been trampling him over for too long that he's becoming desensitized with it already.

The Chairman urged him further, "Hurry, Isogai-kun. Join your new classmates. Now."

He couldn't believe he even exposed the part where he wasn't allowed to use his surname anymore, that he was already legally disowned. Of course, what more could he expect from him?

He mustered up the strength to raise his hand. Before the Gakuhou could even respond, he already made his way to the stage and stopped just right beside him. He directly asked him to step down from the speech podium so that he could present his counterargument to everyone. Gakuhou allowed him to do so, but that didn't happen without a scornful glare from the Chairman.

It was as if he was waiting for Gakushū to mess things up, as if the latter wasn't nervous enough already because of the sudden revelation in front of the entire crowd. Gakushū shrugged it off, he had to. He finally stepped up behind the speech podium and adjusted the microphone to his height.

He faced everyone with confidence, amethyst eyes filled with sheer ambition and perseverance, as he began to spoke, "I'm afraid I have to disagree with what you just said, Chairman. Your ways are too primitive and they're rooted on biased facts. If you are indeed a believer of Charles Darwin himself, then you should've mentioned the cause of the Theory of Evolution per se, such as the mechanism of Natural Selection and Adaptation, where superior traits aren't the only necessity to survive the environment. Eventually, the weak becomes strong and they take over. Times are changing, and so should your own methods of teaching, Chairman. People adapt accordingly. Haven't you noticed the significant improvement of Class E despite the strict implementation of your educational structure?" He addressed everyone as he looked back and forth between the crowd and the Chairman, before he locked his gaze upon the group of students who stood together at the far, left end of the floor. "I am more than honored and inclined to join them, and together, we will dismantle everything you've established in this institution. That's all, thank you." He cleared his throat before he gave the floor back to the Chairman.

Gakuhou readjusted the microphone back as he spoke again in front of the crowd, but glanced sideways to address Gakushū in particular, "I'm looking forward to that, Isogai-kun."

After letting a snicker slip out from his mouth, he held his head high as he walked towards Class E's line formation in front of the entire crowd. After the ringing in his ears disappeared, he could finally hear what they were saying. The rumors about him, insults, everything, spread and reverberated throughout the room like wildfire. Unwelcome stares followed him around as he confidently made his way through Class 3-E's cluster.

_"Isogai? You mean, that Isogai from Class E? Their president? The one working at the café?"_

_"You know, I thought I saw him once working there last week, that must be really him."_

_"The Chairman really is scary, even to his own son. I wouldn't want to end up like him."_

_"I can't blame the Chairman though, he totally deserved that. I can't believe he failed twice against the End Class."_

He stood behind the line. Yūma couldn't help but follow him with that worried look on his face again. He asked him if he was okay, as if he didn't know the answer to that already. No. He shouldn't think about Yūma that way. He nodded at him while his focus remained at the students who stood right in front of him.

He noticed that several Class E students stared at him with pity and concern, while the others glowered at him. He couldn't blame them though, it wasn't until a while ago when they were still technically enemies. But now, now they had to work all together to defy the Chairman, especially with the upcoming mid-terms next week.

Gakuhou's final statement for the assembly silenced everyone, "I hope this will serve as a prime example for all of you to strive harder and aim better for the top spot. I am looking forward to the results of your midterms next week, as well as the outcome of the School Festival. Good luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, do tell me what you think! I kind of intentionally made Gakushū slightly OOC because of what he just went through. Otherwise, tell me what do I need to improve on so that I could write better, I'd appreciate them a lot. Thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> Kindly let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


End file.
